[SUGGESTION]: Inscription based gear configuration

Current gear stats are provided by a fixed stat configuration (grievers, minstrels, trailblazers, etc.).

Consider if armor came in three flavors:

• 3 slot - one major, two minor
• 4 slot - two major, two minor
• 6 slot - six minor

Each slot holds a single inscription. There is one inscription per attribute type: power, precision, vitality, toughness, etc.

Stats configured by applying inscriptions to the slots. The value of the attribute gained is based upon the gear (3/4/6 slot) and the slot type (major/minor).

I don't think this next part is necessary, but if desired, further control/balance can be obtained by creating flavors of slots (offensive, defensive, utility) that allow only inscriptions of that flavor.

This seems like it would be extremely complicated to implement, and would not even remotely change the current gearing strategies in the slightest. People would just stack the equivalent of berzerker / viper gear on almost everything, or the marginally more defensive versions for WvW and PvP. No additional anything but useless complexity in the UI to deliver the same results.

Had a thought over night that maybe this suggestion would allow stacking one stat multiple times in same gear piece.

Is your motivation for this that it would make the stat system more flexible? So you could have (in some sense) free choice of stats, rather than having to pick a certain stat combination?

@juno.1840 said:Had a thought over night that maybe this suggestion would allow stacking one stat multiple times in same gear piece.

I did some calculations, and as far as I can tell, this would make stacking power in every slot the best option for direct damage. Also, stacking power in 6 slots would be better than stacking it in 4, which would be better than stacking it in 3, since stat combinations with larger numbers of slots give higher stat totals. 6 power slots would give almost double the damage of Berserker! In a game where the damage is arguably way too high already, I don't think this would be a good thing...

(There are no 6-slot combinations available at the moment; I'm assuming each slot would contribute at least as much as the slots in Celestial gear.)

Yes -- finer control over stats.

I don't think stacking duplicates would be good -- was just a thought I had afterwards that was interesting to ponder.

The major/minor values are the same for 4 and 6 slot (which is how it works today). The 3-slot has different major/minor values. However if 3-slot were to be "converted" to match the 4 and 6 slot values for major/minor, then 3-slot would be 3 majors... like this:

• 3 slot - three major
• 4 slot - two major, two minor
• 6 slot - six minor

Example values for weapons:

• major = 108 (1h), 215 (2h)
• minor = 59 (1h), 118 (2h)

Just some basic math here:

Weapon: 1or2Armor: 6Trinkets: 6

Let's simplify that down to 14 gear items that each needs to be stated separate.

3stats: 143= 42 upgrades4stat:144= 56 upgrades6stat:14*6= 84 upgrades

These are in addition to runes (6), sigils (4, since I used 2 weapons as example), and arguably the upgrade gems if you still have exo trinkets (ignore if ascended).

Slap on another bunch of Infusion slots (lost count of how many there are).

Basically, even if it prevented you stacking the same stat on the same piece of gear, just how many upgrades do you expect a player to manage ? And if they follow the current rune/sigil system, you have to overwrite and replace the upgrades, making it even less tempting for players to try new builds, simply because you're closing in on 100 different upgrades to change a build.

Also, the current system is already much more complicated than it really needs to be, and I often encounter new players that gets confused by the system as is with 14 items that each can have different stats, runes, sigils, upgrades, and not to mention synergies with skills/traits and general build systems. (In this regard I find the PVP system to work better).

In general I'd rather go the other direction, simplify the system.

An easy example:

Remove stats from weapons and armor, only keep the weapon damage and armor stats.

Increase the trinkets stats to compensate, it's their only role anyways.

That way you have a weapon for the weapon damage, skin and sigil. The armor for the armor rating, the skin and the runes. And the Trinkets for the stats. Gives each group a set role, and making it much easier to mix stats, change stats, without ruining your fashion wars (skins), or possible mess up runes/sigils etc.

This could even be combined with an easy system for allowing you to make up your own stats, though I'd recommend the easiest is just to make each trinket give 1 single stat, and equalize all the trinkets. And allow to stack max 2 of the same stat.

Example, each upgrade gives 500 stats (based on exo 80 tri stat).

Similar to Berserk/Assassin (pvp amulet 1200 power, 900/900 prec/fero)

• Power (+500)
• Power (+500)
• Precision (+500)
• Precision (+500)
• Ferocity (500)
• Ferocity (500)

Similar to Marauder (pvp amulet 1050/1050 power/prec, 560/560 ferocity/vitality)

• Power (+500)
• Power (+500)
• Precision (+500)
• Precision (+500)
• Ferocity (500)
• Vitality (500)

/rant

You may commence flaming now, I got my popcorn ready.